"No Cry Sleep Solution" - we're stuck!!

I'm trying the "no cry sleep solution" book with DD. I have successfully stopped nursing her to sleep a few months ago, but she is still rocked to sleep. I am able to put her down "drowsy & almost asleep" but not fully SOUND asleep (still have to rock her to that point). No matter what I do, I can't do our normal routine - bath, brush teeth, read a few books - and then lay her down. She crawls all around her crib playing with her lovey, turning on her crib soother (I don't wanna take it out because she happily plays with it for half an hour when she wakes up!!), not being still enough for me to even pat her bottom. If I go towards the door, she instantly starts screaming. I'm at such a loss of what to do. As much as I'm against it for my own reasons, I've contemplated letting her (gasp) CIO. We tried this before a few months ago & after almost 2 hrs. of screaming, dry heaving, becoming soaked with sweat, etc. I rocked her & within less than 5 min. she was sleep. I dread going through that again. But we've reached the point where she needs to be putting herself to sleep. I'm so envious of friends whose babies just are put down & go to sleep on their own - without ever CIO or anything - "it just happened." :( Any advice or encouragement?? (Sigh)

I'm trying the "no cry sleep solution" book with DD. I have successfully stopped nursing her to sleep a few months ago, but she is still rocked to sleep. I am able to put her down "drowsy & almost asleep" but not fully SOUND asleep (still have to rock her to that point). No matter what I do, I can't do our normal routine - bath, brush teeth, read a few books - and then lay her down. She crawls all around her crib playing with her lovey, turning on her crib soother (I don't wanna take it out because she happily plays with it for half an hour when she wakes up!!), not being still enough for me to even pat her bottom. If I go towards the door, she instantly starts screaming. I'm at such a loss of what to do. As much as I'm against it for my own reasons, I've contemplated letting her (gasp) CIO. We tried this before a few months ago & after almost 2 hrs. of screaming, dry heaving, becoming soaked with sweat, etc. I rocked her & within less than 5 min. she was sleep. I dread going through that again. But we've reached the point where she needs to be putting herself to sleep. I'm so envious of friends whose babies just are put down & go to sleep on their own - without ever CIO or anything - "it just happened." :( Any advice or encouragement?? (Sigh)

Not once in 13m have I put Micah down awake at all and left the room without him crying. He also went 2 hrs once crying, so we can no longer CIO without limits, although it used to work well. He goes in spurts, lasting days or weeks when bedtime is easy (which means I can do the routine, lay him down awake and just sit in his room for 10-15min and he will fall asleep). These days, he has to be patted and when I have done that as long as my back can handle I leave and he cries. Last night he cried 15 min and that was it. Tonight we are at 7 min and he seems to be slowing down. I plan to go pat at 15 min if he is still crying. Somenights he still nurses to sleep and others I can pat him to sleep relatively quickly. He is consistently inconsistent in all ways (development, eating, sleeping) and it can be crazy making! Good luck!!

Not once in 13m have I put Micah down awake at all and left the room without him crying. He also went 2 hrs once crying, so we can no longer CIO without limits, although it used to work well. He goes in spurts, lasting days or weeks when bedtime is easy (which means I can do the routine, lay him down awake and just sit in his room for 10-15min and he will fall asleep). These days, he has to be patted and when I have done that as long as my back can handle I leave and he cries. Last night he cried 15 min and that was it. Tonight we are at 7 min and he seems to be slowing down. I plan to go pat at 15 min if he is still crying. Somenights he still nurses to sleep and others I can pat him to sleep relatively quickly. He is consistently inconsistent in all ways (development, eating, sleeping) and it can be crazy making! Good luck!!

I know exactly how you feel. Our LO has had sleep issues on and off the past year. Finally after a week of only hrs of sleep the whole week because she would not sleep without being in my arms I gave into my hubby. He told me that as long as she was dry and feed that she could cry a little bit. The first night was hard. When she woke up in the night he would go into her room lay her down and tell her night night baby. He would give her 5 minutes then go back in there lay her back down and tell her goodnight. The first night she cried for about 45min. The second night around 30. Now she either sleeps through the night or when she does wake up she is only up for about 5 minutes, I can go in lay her down say night night and she goes back to sleep. He has also been putting her to bed when she is awake and it's bedtime. She fusses for a few minutes but then she goes to sleep. For us it was better that he does this because I think she knows he means buisness where as mommy is a softy, but now that it is working I stay strong and don't give in. I tried the CIO method when she was around 7-8 months and could not stand her crying, I thought it was just as easy to get up with her and feed her but it got me know where except sleep deprived. Good luck mommy, it truley is a battle but just stay strong and I think the end results will be worth it. Oh and by the way it only took about 3 night of CIO before she caught.

I know exactly how you feel. Our LO has had sleep issues on and off the past year. Finally after a week of only hrs of sleep the whole week because she would not sleep without being in my arms I gave into my hubby. He told me that as long as she was dry and feed that she could cry a little bit. The first night was hard. When she woke up in the night he would go into her room lay her down and tell her night night baby. He would give her 5 minutes then go back in there lay her back down and tell her goodnight. The first night she cried for about 45min. The second night around 30. Now she either sleeps through the night or when she does wake up she is only up for about 5 minutes, I can go in lay her down say night night and she goes back to sleep. He has also been putting her to bed when she is awake and it's bedtime. She fusses for a few minutes but then she goes to sleep. For us it was better that he does this because I think she knows he means buisness where as mommy is a softy, but now that it is working I stay strong and don't give in. I tried the CIO method when she was around 7-8 months and could not stand her crying, I thought it was just as easy to get up with her and feed her but it got me know where except sleep deprived. Good luck mommy, it truley is a battle but just stay strong and I think the end results will be worth it. Oh and by the way it only took about 3 night of CIO before she caught.

I hated when people would tell me "oh my baby is just a great sleeper" so I know how you feel. My baby was NOT, but has grown to be, after much sleep "training." I love the concept of that book and I bought and read it. Unfortunately DS didnt read it. Lol. He was not one of the babies for which this works. As long as I was in the room I had to be holding him, so I couldn't do the shuffle where you get further away each night. We ended up doing a modified CIO (with checks). It was awful at first but he caught on in two nights. Up until about a week ago, DS would rarely STTN and usu wake up once. Now when he wakes, I sing him a song and put him down awake; he will still usually cry when I leave the room but it's usually a protest cry with no tears, and lasts less than a minute. Hang in there mama. You can still comfort her, but it will just be an adjustment in how you comfort and respond. It is not easy but just know it's ultimately what's best for her so she will get more peaceful sleep. Here for you!!

I hated when people would tell me "oh my baby is just a great sleeper" so I know how you feel. My baby was NOT, but has grown to be, after much sleep "training." I love the concept of that book and I bought and read it. Unfortunately DS didnt read it. Lol. He was not one of the babies for which this works. As long as I was in the room I had to be holding him, so I couldn't do the shuffle where you get further away each night. We ended up doing a modified CIO (with checks). It was awful at first but he caught on in two nights. Up until about a week ago, DS would rarely STTN and usu wake up once. Now when he wakes, I sing him a song and put him down awake; he will still usually cry when I leave the room but it's usually a protest cry with no tears, and lasts less than a minute. Hang in there mama. You can still comfort her, but it will just be an adjustment in how you comfort and respond. It is not easy but just know it's ultimately what's best for her so she will get more peaceful sleep. Here for you!!

Thanks for the encouragement & advice. I feel like one of the worst things about it is that DD used to sttn from 3-7moths old. Then a growth spurt or something & she's never gotten back to sttn since then! I'd just nurse her to sleep & that'd be it for 10 hours! Oh how I miss those days!! Last night DD did go to sleep (after an hr.) of me standing next to her crib "shushing" her. Maybe we just need to skip the patting part? But for nap today she would have nothing of that & I ended up rocking her to sleep. I know alot of this is my fault...for the past year she's always nursed or rocked to sleep. I guess that's why i feel guilty if I'd make her cio. It's not her fault she never learned to go to sleep on her own. You've all given me some things to think about & although I'm still going back & forth I do feel optimistic that last night went better. We'll just have to see if it was a fluke or if we're onto something. Thanks for listening!

Thanks for the encouragement & advice. I feel like one of the worst things about it is that DD used to sttn from 3-7moths old. Then a growth spurt or something & she's never gotten back to sttn since then! I'd just nurse her to sleep & that'd be it for 10 hours! Oh how I miss those days!! Last night DD did go to sleep (after an hr.) of me standing next to her crib "shushing" her. Maybe we just need to skip the patting part? But for nap today she would have nothing of that & I ended up rocking her to sleep. I know alot of this is my fault...for the past year she's always nursed or rocked to sleep. I guess that's why i feel guilty if I'd make her cio. It's not her fault she never learned to go to sleep on her own. You've all given me some things to think about & although I'm still going back & forth I do feel optimistic that last night went better. We'll just have to see if it was a fluke or if we're onto something. Thanks for listening!

I could have written that myself, naps and bedtime are so stressful here, sometime rocking doesnt even work, you are not alone, i did the same with nursing and we cant do CIO bc he throws up after 2 min or less and he is FTT due to reflux so our ped said that was a no no. so like you i just hope the next sleep time is better,

I could have written that myself, naps and bedtime are so stressful here, sometime rocking doesnt even work, you are not alone, i did the same with nursing and we cant do CIO bc he throws up after 2 min or less and he is FTT due to reflux so our ped said that was a no no. so like you i just hope the next sleep time is better,

Well the past 3 nights DD has eventually gone to sleep in her crib with me standing over her occasionally gently laying her back down saying "night night time" and then shushing her. It took a while, but she didn't fuss, and eventually did fall back to sleep. In the middle of the night though, she will have nothing to do with that! She's been relentless at trying to get to my boobs! :( Hoping you other mamas are hanging in there! I keep thinking - this too shall pass!!

Well the past 3 nights DD has eventually gone to sleep in her crib with me standing over her occasionally gently laying her back down saying "night night time" and then shushing her. It took a while, but she didn't fuss, and eventually did fall back to sleep. In the middle of the night though, she will have nothing to do with that! She's been relentless at trying to get to my boobs! :( Hoping you other mamas are hanging in there! I keep thinking - this too shall pass!!

We are right there with you. About 2.5 weeks ago, hubby and I reread every sleep book we own, and came up with a plan. For us, it involves a strict scedule of sleep and naps, and putting her in her bed awake. We then sit near her bed, try shush/pat if she gets upset, and pick her up if needed. We put her back down right away as soon as she is calm, and repeat if needed. Now, she pretty much only needs us to say sshhhshh, and she will calm down. Even though this method is slower, I feel good about it because she is not CIO. The hardest part is having to wake her up at the same time everyday--that means no sleeping in for me. The last week, though, she has only woken briefly for a few minutes at night. Before, she was waking every 20-60 minutes, for hours on end. After keeping a sleep log, we saw that she was only sleeping for about 7 hours a day(including naps), and I was sleeping only around 3 or 4 hours. It helped put it in perspective that this could not go on. Sleep issues are hard, but I recomend coming up with a plan and sticking with it no matter what. We've put phase two of our plan on hold because poor dd has 4 teeth coming in, but we will not go back to our old ways no matter what!

We are right there with you. About 2.5 weeks ago, hubby and I reread every sleep book we own, and came up with a plan. For us, it involves a strict scedule of sleep and naps, and putting her in her bed awake. We then sit near her bed, try shush/pat if she gets upset, and pick her up if needed. We put her back down right away as soon as she is calm, and repeat if needed. Now, she pretty much only needs us to say sshhhshh, and she will calm down. Even though this method is slower, I feel good about it because she is not CIO. The hardest part is having to wake her up at the same time everyday--that means no sleeping in for me. The last week, though, she has only woken briefly for a few minutes at night. Before, she was waking every 20-60 minutes, for hours on end. After keeping a sleep log, we saw that she was only sleeping for about 7 hours a day(including naps), and I was sleeping only around 3 or 4 hours. It helped put it in perspective that this could not go on. Sleep issues are hard, but I recomend coming up with a plan and sticking with it no matter what. We've put phase two of our plan on hold because poor dd has 4 teeth coming in, but we will not go back to our old ways no matter what!

Those darn teeth really do mess things up, don't they? I too am determined to make this work. I was so on the fence about considering letting DD CIO & then all of a sudden she started doing so much better! The past (I think) 4 or maybe 5 nights she's gone to sleep with me standing next to her crib and "shushing" her & occasionally laying her back down saying "night night time." And last night she wasn't quite asleep when I left the room & I heard her on the monitor downstairs & she sort of talked herself to sleep. That has NEVER happened! Normally if she notices I'm not there, she screams about it. I'm so encouraged...and thank you for sharing your experience & your plan, too. Best of luck! Hope those teeth don't cause too much trouble for your LO!

Those darn teeth really do mess things up, don't they? I too am determined to make this work. I was so on the fence about considering letting DD CIO & then all of a sudden she started doing so much better! The past (I think) 4 or maybe 5 nights she's gone to sleep with me standing next to her crib and "shushing" her & occasionally laying her back down saying "night night time." And last night she wasn't quite asleep when I left the room & I heard her on the monitor downstairs & she sort of talked herself to sleep. That has NEVER happened! Normally if she notices I'm not there, she screams about it. I'm so encouraged...and thank you for sharing your experience & your plan, too. Best of luck! Hope those teeth don't cause too much trouble for your LO!

No advice here, but sending you my sympathy. I was never comfortable with CIO, just a few minutes here and there when LO was fussy. I hate to say it but we just suffered through it and rocked him to sleep until he was ready to fall asleep on his own. I promise this will pass and some day you will look back and miss this time. If CIO doesn't feel right then it probably isn't and your LO will sleep when they are ready. :)

No advice here, but sending you my sympathy. I was never comfortable with CIO, just a few minutes here and there when LO was fussy. I hate to say it but we just suffered through it and rocked him to sleep until he was ready to fall asleep on his own. I promise this will pass and some day you will look back and miss this time. If CIO doesn't feel right then it probably isn't and your LO will sleep when they are ready. :)

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